Acute Transverse Myelitis With Tertiary Spinal Syphilis:  Case Report

Fazilet Hız; Ülgen Kökeş; Tuğba Eyiipgil; Suna Özlem Sarı; Ali Erdoğan

Fazilet Hız, Ülgen Kökeş, Tuğba Eyiipgil, Suna Özlem Sarı, Ali Erdoğan

Neurology Clinic, Taksim Education And Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey

Keywords: myelitis, neurosyphylis, acut paraparesia

Abstract

Scientific BACKGROUND: Syphilis is an systemic infection that can effect the central nervous system in all stages. Without treatment, it reaches the primary, secondary and tertiary stages, it also affects heart, central nervous system and other organs.

OBJECTIVE: With the introduction of penicillin, effects of syphilis on central nervous system are decreased. Spinal cord involvement is very rare manifestation of syphilis. Syphilis should be kept in mind in transverse myelitis cases that presented with acute paraparesis.

CASE: A 61 years old man presented with acute paraparesis, hyperestesia below level of T9 dermatom, fecal and uriner retantion.

CONCLUSION: Our case is presented due to rare manifestation of syphilis like spinal myelitis with acute paraparesia and concomitant cardiac, cerebral, renal, aortic and retinal involvement by syphilis.